Light of the Stars
by AngeliqueBouchard1972
Summary: Gentle, soft fingers grasped her chin and slowly lifted her pink tinged face upwards. Her cerulean gaze captured his own. "I can see it in your eyes, Allura," his voice tantalizingly smooth, "the light of the stars." Lotor/Allura - No longer canon (due to Season 6) - Rated M in future chapters (art not mine)
1. Chapter 1

**Light of the Stars: Chapter One**

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Allura sighed, breathing in deeply before exhaling and resting her head on her desk. She was supposed to be reading over the briefs she was given to prepare the coalition for the next day, but her mind wouldn't let her. She was constantly distracted, her thoughts jumping from one place to the next. There was simply too much going on for her to be able to focus. Allura sighed again, looking at the digital clock next to her computer. Perhaps she should simply give this up for the night and go to sleep. She might have better success in the morning after a good rest.

Suddenly, a dial tone rang on her computer screen.

 **\- - EMPEROR LOTOR IS REQUESTING A VIDEO CALL - -**

Allura's eyes went wide and she sat straight up in her desk chair. She wasn't prepared for this call at all. It was late. Allura's hands quickly went to her hair and smoothed it down. She wanted to look at least a bit presentable. After all, he was the emperor of most of the known universe. She clicked on the screen to accept the call.

"Good evening, Princess Allura," he began, "I hope I am not intruding." He looked as perfect as ever, not a strand of his hair out of place. Allura locked eyes with him.

"No, not at all," Allura said, smiling. She stilled for a second before she continued,

"And you don't have to address me as Princess Allura, Lotor. We're closer than that, aren't we?" Immediately after she said it she cringed internally. It had sounded far too intimate, suggesting something that wasn't there. She mentally berated herself for the phrasing. Lotor didn't seem to mind though. He only inclined his head a bit, the corner of his mouth tilting upward in a barely-there smile.

"You're right," he admitted. It had only been a week or so since their adventure into Oriande and their fight with Haggar. He had shared a lot with her then.

"What did you want to talk about?" Allura asked, trying to keep herself on task. Lotor's gaze met hers through the holo screen again.

"The quintessence project. I know it hasn't exactly been… calm lately, but I believe that we should begin working on it as soon as possible."

"Yes, we should. I just hope I can fit it into my schedule. Voltron is planning on making a trip to the revolting factions tomorrow and the next day as well. I wish it was easier to balance everything," she said, admitting that she was overwhelmed.

"Well, I have an idea about that, but I have no idea how you would feel about it," Lotor explained. Allura raised an eyebrow, interested.

"What is it?"

"I've been in regular contact with the Blade of Marmora, as you know, and I discovered that one of the members used to be a paladin of Voltron." Lotor tilted his head a bit, eyeing the Princess.

"An earthling named Keith," Allura explained. Lotor made a noncommittal noise.

"Yes, Keith and I have been talking about the possibility of him returning to Voltron as a paladin. Now that Zarkon is gone and a majority of the universe is under my control, I assured him that the Blade will have less of a need for him than they did before… Keith was very interested about the possibility of returning to Voltron full time." Allura blinked, wondering where he was going with this.

"If the Blade of Marmora accepts his decision, it would be possible for Lance to return to the blue lion and Keith to return to the red lion," Lotor theorized.

"And where would that leave me?" She asked, a tinge of discomfort in her voice. Lotor stilled for a second, smiling.

"Well, that would leave you more time to spend working on the quintessence project with me… along with your other duties of course. Diplomacy and such." Allura was silent for a while, thinking about what Lotor was proposing. She had to admit; spending time working on the project seemed like a very appealing option. However, she was just beginning to fit into her role as the blue paladin.

"I don't know, Lotor. I would love to work on the project with you, but… I have a bond with the blue lion. I don't know if I would want to give that up," Allura admitted, looking up at Lotor. He nodded slowly.

"I understand. It was just an idea." Lotor seemed a tiny bit disappointed.

"I hope we can work this out somehow. My schedule, I mean." She bit her lip, watching as Lotor examined her. He sat back a bit in his office chair, nodding.

"I don't want you to think I don't care about the project – I do! I really do want to help, its just that everything is so crazy right now," she paused, thinking, "How about this? I'll try to do both this week and I'll see how it goes. That way I can think about it for a while and get an opportunity to talk to Keith."

"Of course. Don't feel rushed on my account, Allura. It's a big decision," Lotor said. Allura wondered a bit at his strangeness. Lotor had so much grace for a galra, so much of a sense of diplomacy. It was a bit strange to see. But she had to remind herself that he was half-galra, half-altean.

"Thank you for your patience in all this. It means a lot to me," Allura said. Lotor smiled lightly, and it made something in Allura feel warm and giddy. He really had such a nice smile. His eyes were warm and soothing, and Allura couldn't help but smile back. She could feel something tugging on her heartstrings, just like before when they were on Oriande.

"You're welcome." They simply stared at each other for a few moments more before Allura shook herself out of it.

"Well, about the schedule - I believe I'm free in two days. I could see you then," she offered. There was still a hint of a smile on Lotor's face.

"Excellent. I'll be waiting for you," he said, his voice low and rich, elegant in all the ways a man of his stature should be. Allura knew it was his voice that did things to her. His Altean accent was so beautiful and refined, and he certainly used it to his advantage, smoothing over the words like he was reading poetry.

"Goodnight, then," she said, locking eyes with him.

"Goodnight, Allura."

 **A/N: Welcome to my new Lotura fanfiction! I hope you guys enjoy! Please leave me a comment!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Princess, are you sure you don't want one of us to come with you?" Coran asked as the castle neared Lotor's ship. Allura turned to look at him.

"I'll be perfectly fine on my own, Coran. Do you not trust me with diplomacy?" Allura asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Coran looked at the huge, ominous space ship that served as the galran castle.

"It's not really a matter of diplomacy, Princess. He's… I don't know if I entirely trust him," Coran admitted quietly. Allura narrowed her eyes. As the ship began to dock she let go of the controls.

"Why not?" She asked, not entirely happy and yet not entirely aggressive. Coran sighed.

"He is the leader of the galra empire. I think we will likely run into some conflicting views," Coran said, trying to explain himself.

"He's our ally. Sometimes we have conflicting views with our allies. That's fine. Besides, we haven't disagreed on anything yet," the Princess pointed out. Coran hummed in response.

"I'm weary of what the future holds with him. And to be honest I don't think his plan will work."

"You don't know that. I think it will help, Coran. He's right – it would create a complete paradigm shift. The galra wouldn't have something to fight over quintessence anymore," Allura explained.

"Except territory - and power," Coran rebuked. The ship was almost done docking into the port, and Allura stepped down from the control panel.

"He's trying something. What do you expect him to do? There's his people… do you have a better idea for how to solve tensions with the galra?" Allura was becoming more argumentative. Coran knit his brows, sighed, and dropped his shoulders.

"No. I just hope that this alignment isn't a mistake," he mumbled, looking at the floor. Allura put her hand on his shoulder.

"He saved us from Haggar, he killed Zarkon, and he led me into Oriande. He's proven himself useful and a strong ally. Our strongest. I have to believe that he can help us, Coran. We won't be able to do it on our own. Without this alliance all hope is lost. I will not allow us to sabotage this and risk falling back into warfare. There are too many lives at stake." Coran's eyes widened.

"Princess, I didn't mean to suggest that we end the alliance! I just mean that you should… proceed with caution, my dear. He's very intelligent."

"I know that," Allura said confidently, "so was my father. Lots of people are intelligent, and not all of them are evil." Coran huffed and followed her as she walked towards the ramp.

"I don't think he is evil, Princess Allura. I just – never mind. I'll come back to pick you up in ten vargas." Allura nodded, stepping onto the bridge without looking back. She knew that this was the most influential alliance the coalition had and under no circumstance could she mess it up. The castle's door closed behind her just as she entered Lotor's main hall. This time he was not flanked by a battalion of sentries, but rather stood alone near the entrance, ready to receive her, just as he said he would. Allura locked eyes with the emperor and instantly she felt better because he was smiling gently, his gaze kind and appreciative.

"Hello, Princess." His voice had an undercurrent of warmth running through it. He walked over to her.

"Hello, your majesty," Allura said. She was almost teasing him with the formality in retribution for him using her title. Lotor only chuckled lightly and looked her over. She was wearing her gown today and not paladin armor, for once.

"You look lovely," he whispered, not wanting the guards to hear him. Allura smiled again, looking up at him. She supposed he had never seen her in a dress.

"Thank you," she said, a warmth spreading throughout her body, despite the chill of the room. She reminded herself that he was a charismatic man. He probably said that to women all the time.

"I'll show you to the labs," Lotor offered, his hands held behind his back. As they made their way across the ship to the quintessence lab she would pepper him with questions about the ship and what the different rooms were. Of course he answered each question eagerly and politely, smiling at her from time to time. Allura was glad to see him somewhat happy. He had been so miserable before, when he killed Zarkon. She couldn't blame him. She would have been sad too if she had to kill Zarkon herself, not because he was a good man, but simply because it is sad to have to end the life of any person at all. And his own father, at that. Allura felt bad for him, having to grow up with Zarkon as a father. She couldn't even imagine it.

"Where are your rooms, Lotor? I noticed we haven't passed them yet."

"Oh, they're on another floor. I can take you there later," He offered, and it seemed strangely personal, somehow, like he was offering up some vulnerable part of himself. He shook off the idea. It was just a few rooms.

"They're not your father's old rooms?" She asked lightly, hesitant to bring up such a sore subject but desperately curious at the same time. Lotor didn't turn to look at her.

"No. I'm tearing those rooms down," Lotor said, a bit brusquely. Allura knew he wouldn't want to dwell on such a subject, so she let it go.

"Are your rooms the same ones you grew up in?" She asked. He barely talked about his childhood, although it is understandable that he didn't given that he grew up ten thousand years ago. He found her question a bit odd, but he tried not to show that.

"No, this is a different ship, not the one I grew up in." Allura hummed in response.

"Should I not have asked that? I'm sorry," she said, hoping she hadn't offended him. Lotor turned to look at her then.

"No, you haven't offended me. It's fine," he said, pressing a button on the elevator. Finally, they approached the lab. It truly was a large ship.

"Here we are," he said, but Allura could barely hear him. She was too busy staring in wonderment at the awe-inspiring scene before her. The whole layout of the lab was spectacularly modern. The vast space was filled with equipment, controls, data pads, and various tables and machinery upon them. Quintessence of many different variations was stored in assorted tubes on the walls, giving the room a soft glow.

"It's… amazing!" She said, her voice giddy like it was when she was a little girl. Lotor smirked and watched her expression, glad that he could inspire such happiness.

"I'm glad you think so. I had it redone to fit my experiments," he said. Allura turned back around to him. It was only the two of them in the lab, and it was nice being one on one with him again. His presence was so intense. He was magnetic, electric. His gaze pierced her and held her.

"Are you ready to begin?"

 **A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter! Allura and Lotor are going to be working together a lot now. Who knows what might happen... Please leave me a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you** **Jinsukeollie,** **piece of energy, midnight4568, violetroseofdarkness, and all the rest of you who commented! You guys are the best!**

Chapter Three

Allura and Lotor had been in the lab all day, working with the quintessence. Lotor had already laid out all the plans, of course, and Allura fit perfectly into the equation just the way Lotor had planned that she would. Her knowledge in Oriande had given her many magical abilities that she hadn't had before, and manipulating quintessence was much easier under her now-well trained hands.

Later in the day Allura was working with a very specific problem. She was trying to purify the quintessence into a more purified form. It took a lot of concentration, but she was able to do it, pulling the contaminating material away from the pure quintessence. Lotor watched her intently as she did so, tracking the data in his tablet. After a while of doing this, Allura's mind began to drift. She thought of their trip into Oriande, and his marks. They were a unique shape, she thought. They suited him quite well. She also thought of his remarks about her magical ability. She had told him, sometime after they met, that she possessed magical ability, and he wasn't surprised. After all, King Alfor was one of the greatest altean alchemists in all of history. It made sense that his daughter was magical as well.

Allura thought about Oriande for a while, and how the ancients had chosen Lotor. Coran hadn't been chosen. She knew that Lotor had some magical abilities in him, some intrinsic sense told her so. Otherwise the gods wouldn't have chosen him for such a mission, she was sure.

"Lotor, you can help with this as well," Allura said, referring to the quintessence purification. Lotor scowled from where he was standing, a few steps away.

"What?" He looked at her oddly, "How?" Allura smiled a little.

"You were chosen to go to Oriande. That means you have magical abilities. That's why Coran couldn't go." Lotor looked down at his screen before setting it down on the console.

"I failed their test," Lotor rebuked, "I did not gain the knowledge of the ancients like you did." Allura sighed.

"That doesn't matter. You still possess an ability to channel altean magic. It's in your veins…" Allura muttered. Lotor turned his head away from her to look down at the floor.

"I can't, Allura. I never had a teacher," Lotor replied, his voice quiet. He seemed disappointed with himself. She knew he was still hurting from his failure in Oriande, and she didn't blame him. Allura reached out and touched his hand in a placating gesture.

"I'm here, Lotor. I can teach you," she offered. Lotor looked back at the princess, wide-eyed and curious. He never thought she would offer.

"You can?"

"Yes. After all, you and I are the only magical alteans left," she explained, locking onto his gaze. For a moment Lotor and Allura simply stared at each other, considering their circumstances. Allura studied his eyes. They were so unique; not galran, and yet not entirely altean either. They were a harmonious blend of bluish purple and yellow. They were really very beautiful. After a while she noticed Lotor raise his eyebrows. She was staring. How embarrassing.

"I'll teach you what I know," she said, moving to sit down on the couch.

"Now?" Lotor asked curiously. Allura nodded, gesturing for him to sit with her.

"If you want," she offered.

"How do we begin?" Lotor asked. Allura exhaled, thinking.

"Well, the first step is simply being able to sense the energy itself… What you asked me to do earlier when we were in Haggar's lair." Lotor's expression turned to one of disbelief.

"You think I can do that?" He sounded a bit incredulous.

"If I teach you how to pick up the signals, yes. I can produce them and you can learn to pick them up." Lotor was silent for a tick.

"So I should simply close my eyes and try to feel the energy? Believe me, Allura, I've tried that before. I can't sense anything," he admitted.

"No, we won't start with that. We can start with something much simpler than that. Really, I don't think anyone can pick up signals like that without proper training. I have to teach you the signals first." Lotor was interested then.

"How?" He asked eagerly.

"We'll start with the physical signals. I'll produce the energy and you can simply concentrate on sensing it," Allura explained. She shifted closer to him on the couch, tucking her knee underneath her so she could turn towards him.

"We'll join hands so you can feel it… you should take off your gloves," Allura said, looking down at his hands. Lotor looked at them too, a bit apprehensively, and then he acquiesced, taking the gloves off and laying them on the couch. Allura realized she had never seen his hands before. They were purple, of course, like the rest of him, but his nails were completely unfamiliar to her. They were claws, sort of, but they were retracted, barely extending out at all, ending at the tips of his fingers. She didn't even know galrans could have retractable claws.

Well, they weren't really claws. The nails themselves were thin, like an altean's. She had never seen that before. It was a strange sort of fusion of galran and altean, just like his eyes were. After a few ticks of looking them over she could tell Lotor was uncomfortable and perhaps a bit embarrassed. Allura looked at his face but his gaze was averted, flicking from one place to another. Allura pursed her lips and reached out, taking both of his purple hands in her mocha-colored ones.

He looked up at that, and then back down at their joined hands, silent. Allura smoothed her fingers over his palms and locked them in between his own. She was incredibly surprised with how soft his skin was. It took her completely off guard, actually. Galran skin was rougher than altean skin and much thicker. It had an entirely different feeling. His skin was remarkably altean, despite the coloring.

"You have Altean skin," she said soothingly, watching his reaction. She was holding his hands face up in hers, her fingers smoothing over the supple skin of his palms. Galrans had tough skin on the top of their palms, but Lotor didn't have any. It almost gave her a homesick kind of feeling to be finding Altean traits in him.

"Yes," he said, very quietly, "that's why I wear gloves." Allura scowled a bit.

"You don't like it?" She asked. Lotor blinked and met her gaze.

"People think I'm weak… They think my Altean heritage makes me weak – incompetent on the battlefield." Allura scowled. He obviously wasn't.

"Alteans aren't weak. We're fighters too." Lotor looked up at her, not debating the subject at all.

"I know. But since Altea was destroyed so long ago there's no one around to remember them. All people know about them now is what they learned from legend or history… And the history books don't do Alteans justice, Allura. The books are quite ethnocentric, of course. And the legends… well, my father started them and I'm sure he twisted the truth in them quite a bit. The only thing that galrans know now about Alteans is that they are weak and their civilization fell at Zarkon's hands some ten thousand years ago." Allura let go of his hands then, and her expression fell. She was repulsed by the truth of his words, and the darkness of it. The fleeting moment of happiness was gone again and she turned away from Lotor.

"I know it's not the truth, Allura. When I see you, I know in my heart that what I was taught was wrong." Allura turned her head and Lotor was sitting closer to her. She considered his words, sighing deeply.

"I'm sorry for distressing you," Lotor muttered. Allura turned back around.

"No, it's alright. You were just telling me the truth. Let's get back to the sensory training," she said. Lotor looked her over for a moment. Her face was still a bit solemn. But then, he thought, it was his fault. He mentally berated himself for saddening her. He never wanted to do that again.

"Of course," he acquiesced. They joined hands again, and Allura laced her fingers through his. She exhaled, pressing her fingers into his skin.

"Now, close your eyes. Focus on the energy. It feels like a pulse. Almost like a… heartbeat." Lotor closed his eyes and did as he was told. He sighed, trying to concentrate. They sat there for a minute or so, breathing together. Finally, he started to feel something. It was a strange sensation, pulsing every tick or so, flowing up from the connection of their hands down through his arms. Lotor smiled a little.

"I can feel it, I think," he said.

"Good. Concentrate on it," Allura said. The feeling started increasing gradually, and as Lotor concentrated on it he could sense it more and more.

"There. You're doing it, Lotor," Allura said, looking at him.

"Open your eyes," she said. He did, and when he looked up Allura's marks were glowing.

"Your marks are back again," Allura said, smiling.

"So are yours," he responded. Allura leaned in a bit closer to him, and for a while they only looked at each other. Lotor focused on the energy in their hands and then he could feel it flowing throughout his entire body, the sensation pulsing through him intensely. Allura focused on it too, exhilarated at the sensation flowing through them.

"I haven't felt this for ten thousand years," she said, breathlessly. Lotor was growing more used to the sensation and as time went on it only got better and better.

"It's blissful," Lotor sighed. Allura chuckled and opened her eyes. They were sitting very close together, then, more closely then what was appropriate. Their gazes met. Suddenly, Allura realized how close they had gotten, not just physically but spiritually as well. She gently let go of his hands and they locked eyes once more. Lotor was positively beaming, it seemed. Allura watched his marks fade away gradually. He touched his face.

"They're gone," she muttered. She had an urge to reach up and touch him, to feel the supple skin where his marks used to be. She restrained herself. He was the emperor now. It would be highly inappropriate.

"Thank you," he said. Allura smiled.

"Of course. I told you you could do it." Lotor chuckled.

"I'm sorry I doubted you," he teased heartily, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. Allura tried not to swoon at his voice. Its depth and eloquence did things to her head. He stood then.

"We should probably get back to the project," Lotor said, a faint smirk still on his face. Allura nodded, standing up as well. The sensations from before were still coursing through her in low, intrinsic pulses.

A/N: Here's another chapter! If anyone wants to beta read this story for me, please let me know. Thanks. Please leave a comment!


	4. Chapter 4

Light of the Stars Chapter Four

Allura and the paladins, catching their breath after a rescue mission in the V'akar quadrant, sat in the common room. Hunk had gone to get them all something to drink.

"Pidge, that was awesome the way you just nailed that fighter," Lance said, sounded every bit like a teenage boy. Pidge smirked.

"Thanks! It just kinda came to me," she said, nonchalantly. Lance was still high on adrenaline from their fight, and he sat on the edge of his seat, his arms gesticulating wildly.

"And Shiro! When you grabbed that guy and-" He was cut off, then, by the sound of Allura's communicator ringing. Everyone turned to look at her, fearful that it was Kolivan or one of the rebel groups in need of assistance. They had just returned from a fight, and to go on another right away would have been exhausting.

Allura answered, putting the phone to her ear.

"This is Princess Allura," she answered, hoping that it wasn't more disaster. She could hear Lotor chuckle lightly through the phone.

"Hello Princess," he said, teasing her formality again, "This is Emperor Lotor of the Galra empire." Allura blushed slightly and laughed at the mock formal tone he was using. Lance scowled at her expression.

"I didn't know it was you."

"My name didn't show up on the comm?" He asked, somewhat disbelievingly.

"No, no, this is my portable comm on my suit so it doesn't show anything. We just got back from our mission in the V'akar quadrant," she explained.

"Ah," Lotor sighed, "I understand." He started to say something else but she cut him off,

"Just a moment." Then, she looked up to the paladins and Coran.

"It's Lotor. I have to take this." Most of their expressions were calm, but Lance's nose was scrunched up in disapproval.

"Of course," Shiro replied, "Go ahead." Allura gave a gentle smile then and put the comm back up to her ear.

"Sorry about that, Lotor."

"It's alright. Would you mind if we switch to webcam, Allura? I would prefer to do this face to face," He asked. Allura entered her bedroom and switched the transmission to the computer monitor on her desk. Instantly, Lotor's handsome face appeared before her, life size and in his own room, she imagined.

"Thank you," he said. Allura didn't know why but she would have almost preferred to continue without the webcam. Sometimes it gave her butterflies to see him. She tried not to think much about that. He was so powerful - it was probably just nerves. He was so intimidating, and, well, attractive. Allura really didn't like to think about that. She shouldn't be thinking about that in the first place.

"Why are you calling?" She asked, her voice pleasant. Lotor leaned forward a bit in his desk chair.

"I'm calling to ask if you would be willing to attend a… meeting, of sorts, with my heads of state." Allura blinked widely, a bit shocked.

"Oh. Why?"

"Allura, I'm going to be candid with you, and I hope you don't take any of this as insult, because I do not intend it that way," he explained, sincerely. Allura didn't know what to think of that.

"Okay."

"I think we need a complete restructuring of communication and command. It's honestly very confusing the way things are currently set up. I believe that there could be a much better way of organizing things between the coalition, the empire, and the blade of Marmora."

"That's not insulting, Lotor. I agree. There needs to be some… restructuring now that everything is different."

"Precisely," Lotor said, "Although, admittedly, much of this will have to change _after_ the quintessence project is completed."

"Yes," she mumbled. Lotor looked down at his desk.

"I need you here, Allura. It's been weeks since we've made any progress, and my generals grow impatient. They are doubting your dedication to the project."

"Are you?" She asked, concerned. Lotor looked up. He was silent for a moment.

"No. I do not doubt you… But I do wish you would be available more often. I can't do the work without you, and everything hinges on this project. Everything."

Allura sat back, thinking. He was right. She was being selfish in not helping him but staying as a part of team Voltron just so she could feel important.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Lotor, I've – I've stretched myself far too thin. I need to help you with the project." Lotor looked at her.

"You do not need to apologize, Allura, you were simply trying to do the right thing. I understand. We simply need to focus on solving things."

"I'm afraid there's not going to be anything simple about it," Allura explained. Lotor sighed.

"Yes, of course. We have much ahead of us," Lotor responded.

"Indeed," Allura said.

"If you wish, I could inform Keith of your decision," Lotor offered.

"No, I can do it myself." Lotor smiled slightly.

"Alright then. About you," he began, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"What about me?" She asked. Lotor smirked but quickly returned to passivity.

"Now that you will no longer be apart of team Voltron your time can be much better split between the coalition and the project," he ventured. Allura straightened.

"Oh, yes. Of course," she said, smiling gracefully. Lotor couldn't take his eyes off her when she got bashful like that. He liked the way her little teal marks contrasted with her blush. She was so beautiful.

"When is the soonest you can come to see me?" Lotor asked, and Allura pursed her lips.

"Well, first I'll have to make sure that all the paladins can change into their original lions alright. If the lions aren't on board, then we'll have a problem," she explained. Lotor thought the lion's artificial intelligence was entirely fascinating. He made a mental note to ask her about them later.

"Do you think that will be a problem?" Lotor asked.

"No, I hope not. The red lion can be very temperamental, but Keith has already formed a bond with it in the past, so I doubt it will reject him now. I do worry a bit about the blue lion, however. It rejected Lance in the past. I hope it will accept him now."

"Please keep me updated with your progress." Allura locked eyes with him.

"Of course. Hopefully Keith can return by tomorrow and we can get everything sorted out. I'll call you tomorrow night to let you know how everything goes."

"Wonderful," Lotor replied, his silky voice smoothing over the word, "I look forward to it."

"Goodnight." The princess said, smiling.

"Goodnight, Allura."

"What did Lotor want?" Lance asked, his voice a bit sour.

"Well, we've been talking for a while about Keith returning to team Voltron. Keith suggested it, and I think it's a good idea. Lotor needs me to help him with the quintessence project and it's simply too difficult to split my time between the two." Lance sat forward in his chair.

"So he's making you abandon us so you can go do his dirty work?" Lance asked angrily. Allura scowled and turned to him.

"No," she rebutted, "Keith suggested it and told him about it, and Lotor asked me if I wanted to consider it. I said I needed time to think about it and he said I could take all the time I want. I've decided now and I do think it's a good idea. There's no one else to help Lotor with his project and I would be happy to assist him bring peace." Lance huffed.

"How can you be sure the red lion will accept Keith?" Shiro asked.

"Keith is coming tomorrow. We can see if it will accept him then," Allura explained.

"Why didn't you ask us first, Allura?" Pidge asked, a slight strain to her voice.

"I'm sorry. I was thinking about it on my own for a while and time simply got away from me. It needs to be done."

"How long do you think Lotor's project will take?" Hunk asked. Allura sat down on the couch.

"I'm not entirely sure. It's very complicated," she explained. Coran asked,

"What will you do when the project is completed?" Allura thought for a moment.

"I don't need to return to Voltron, you all did a great job before without me."

"But you've progressed so much, Allura! You're amazing. You shouldn't have to leave the team forever," Lance said exuberantly. Allura smiled at the compliment.

"Thank you, Lance. But I'm not leaving forever – just for now. I might return at some point. We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Lance said, thinking.

"Won't the Blade of Marmora miss Keith? I thought you said before that he was integral to their team," Lance asked.

"He is, but this project is more important," Allura muttered.

"I think it will be great having Keith back!" Hunk exclaimed.

"I was just getting used to red, though…" Lance mumbled, looking down at the floor, "But you're right – it will be good to have Keith back."

"We'll finally be getting the family back together! It'll be like old times," Pidge added, smiling. Lance rolled his eyes.

"Except now Allura's best friends with Lo-turd," he grumbled. Allura scowled her eyes at him.

"Don't call him that," she said defensively.

"Why? I don't trust him, Allura." The princess huffed.

"You're acting like a child. He's our ally, Lance."

"Whatever," he grumbled again. A brief moment passed and Hunk chimed in,

"You're just jealous of his beautiful hair, Lance." Hunk nudged Lance and he made a noncommittal noise. Allura and Pidge laughed.

"He does have beautiful hair," Allura muttered quietly. Lance looked up at that, raising an eyebrow. The conversation flowed on but Lance couldn't stop thinking about Allura's face when Lotor had called her and the way she talked about him when he was out of the room. He had never seen her act that way before.

A/N: I hope you liked it! Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for reading this story and please continue to leave comments telling me your thoughts about the chapters! We're going to be heading into more romance in these next few installments so I hope you're ready! ;)**

 **Chapter Five**

"Are you really sure you're okay with this, Allura?" Keith asked. The two of them stood alone on the bridge. Allura nodded, folding her hands in front of her.

"I'm quite sure, Keith." Her gaze was steady and unwavering, and Keith could see in her eyes that she had thought this through. He looked her over once more.

"Alright," was all he said, and he climbed into the red lion. After the first successful test flight with all the paladins returned to their original lions, Allura had suggested they take the lions out for a short mission, delivering cargo, just to make sure everything was running smoothly before her departure. She wouldn't be gone too long, of course, just a few days. The castle could not operate fully without her so she could never really leave for too long of a period. Lotor knew that full well when she signed on that this would be the situation and he accepted it.

Allura waved then, and smiled at Keith as he left the castle in his lion. She assured herself that everything would be fine without her there. They had Coran, after all, and Matt, in the castle to help out. She walked back to her room once the paladins had left, the door automatically closing behind her with a soft sound. A suitcase lay open on her bed, mostly empty save for a few dresses and shoes. She had barely begun to back; she had been too distracted to do so. The mice squeaked on her dresser, and Allura turned to face the little creatures. One of them jumped out of her jewelry box, imploring her to take the necklace in its grip. Allura smiled, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh, I don't think I'm going to need those, it will only be me and Lotor, there's no need to dress up. We'll only be working on the project – nothing fancy," she explained. They squeaked nonetheless. She huffed, thinking.

"Oh, alright, I'll bring one," she relented, picking up a necklace her mother had given her long ago, made of small glittering gemstones. For a moment she thought that it wouldn't be all that bad for her to wear it. She was a princess, after all, and he was an emperor. Did she really need an occasion to wear something nice? She put it on then, testing it out in the mirror.

"Do you think he will like it?" She asked the mice without really thinking. The mice looked at her a bit oddly and she turned away, pretending that she hadn't said it at all. She took off the necklace and packed it away.

* * *

"Are you all set?" Coran asked the next morning, looking over the princess and her luggage. Allura smirked a bit.

"Yes, Coran, I think I know how to pack for a few days away from the castle," she laughed lightly. She knew how to take care of herself. Coran exhaled through his nose and locked eyes with her.

"Take care of yourself, Princess. And please call me to let me know how things are going."

"Of course, Coran. I'll be back before you know it." She hugged the older altean and kissed his temple. He was always so protective of her. She didn't blame him. They were the only alteans left – they had to look out for one another.

As she stepped aboard the transport shuttle she caught her mistake. They weren't the only alteans left. They had Lotor. When she thought of him, when she thought of that truth, she smiled warmly, looking nowhere in particular. The princess thought of the last meeting he had shared with him. She thought of the feeling of his skin sliding against hers, the warmth of his touch, and the brilliant glow of his markings in the darkness of the lab. Allura shook herself out of her thoughts then. She felt ridiculous thinking about such things.

* * *

"Your room, Princess," Lotor said, stepping through the door to usher Allura inside. It was a galra room like all the others: modern and somewhat cold, a tall ceiling causing the light to disappear into shadow. There was a dresser with a holo screen, a vanity, and a few artificial windows that were blank at the moment. The bed was nice, however. The bed sheets were a beautiful blue color, accented by sheer curtains that made it feel a bit more homely. A luxurious blue blanket sat at the foot of the large bed and Allura touched it, feeling the softness against her hand.

"I hope you'll find it suitable," Lotor ventured, tilting his head a bit as he observed her inspection of the room, "I know it's different than what you're used to, but-" Allura cut him off, turning around.

"It's lovely. Thank you Lotor." She smiled and the emperor returned the gesture, his face lighting up warmly.

"You're welcome. I'll have the servants arrange your things for you. If it's alright with you then, we could go to the lab?" Lotor asked. Allura perked up. That was one part of the ship she really did enjoy.

"Yes, certainly," she smiled, walking out of the room as Lotor did.

"Would you like something to drink?" He asked then, and it caught Allura off guard even though it shouldn't have. She smiled a bit.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Lotor nodded and continued walking straight ahead.

"Let me know if there is anything I can do to make you comfortable," he offered. Allura smirked, but Lotor didn't see her as he was staring down the hall.

"You're very hospitable," she commented. Lotor huffed a bit.

"I am?"

"Yes," she answered, smiling at him as their eyes met, "It's very nice."

They both stepped into the elevator.

"I thought is was customary to make your guests feel welcomed," Lotor said. Allura raised her eyebrows.

"Well, yes, I just- well… I didn't know that was customary for the galra," she mumbled quietly, hoping she was not offending him. Lotor tried to catch her gaze but her eyes were averted downwards.

"Did you not stay with my father on diplomatic visits when you were a child?" He asked. Allura knew she was treading on dangerous waters now. She shouldn't have said that. She exhaled.

"Yes, of course I did. Your people were most considerate then and they were very hospitable to me." She was talking a bit quickly, praying that Lotor would not be angry with her. When she looked up and caught her gaze he was simply looking at her, his purple gaze flickering from her eyes to her mouth. He said nothing as he turned back to his original position so that both of them were facing the elevator door.

"Some of us are still hospitable, Allura." His voice was calm and soft. He did not sound angry. He almost sounded hurt. The princess turned to him.

"Of course. I'm sorry – I was being rude." Lotor did not turn to her however, and his expression stayed the same – his eyes almost gaze over but his face otherwise neutral.

"It's no matter," he muttered quietly, clasping his arms behind his back. Allura exhaled through her mouth. She mentally berated herself for saying something so stupid. Her eyebrows knit together, she couldn't help it. Lotor clicked a button on the wall to send them to the right floor. He noticed Allura's expression in the reflection of the glass. He turned, then, outright.

"What is it?" He asked, touching her arm. Allura looked down at her feet. She sighed again.

"I'm really sorry, Lotor, I-" a sigh, "I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me. I've been… very cold to the galra since my father's death, but I wasn't always like that. It's just that – well, even though I've lived the past ten thousand years I haven't experienced any of it. And so it feels as if my father's murder was only months ago, even though it was millennia ago." Allura still had her eyes downcast when Lotor touched her cheek. It only took a second for her to look up after that. He wasn't wearing his gloves and so she could feel his skin against hers.

"I understand," he said, and for a moment his voice and his touch and his gaze were so perfect Allura could hardly believe he was real. His hand was still on her cheek, cupping her jaw.

"I'm sorry," he sighed gently, and took his hand away from her face. The place where his fingers had been burned. Her face flushed. Her heart was beating too quickly. There was a very strange sort of ache there – in her chest - that she didn't understand. She was just emotional, she thought. It was a very emotional topic, after all.

Allura couldn't ignore, however, the way that her heart had raced when he touched her, and how something so innocent could send shivers through her. She longed to feel it again. His touch. She longed for so much that she didn't understand. And that night, when she was comfortable under the covers, all alone in her room, her hand drifted up to her face and touched the place where his fingers had been – where his touch had been – and it sent the shivers through her once more. Her heart did that same funny dance when she thought of his voice or his face. She thought of stupid things, like his hair. Allura wondered what it would be like to touch his hair. She had only ever touched his hands, after all, and she didn't see the harm in wondering about something so innocent. She wondered what it would feel like slipping through her fingers. Would it be just as soft as his hands? Like fine silk? There was a blush covering her cheeks as her thoughts continued. Allura thought about touching him other places, too, his face and his lips. She had been staring at his lips, that day, in the lab, when he wasn't paying attention to her. She briefly wondered what they might feel like brushing against her own.

It took longer than Allura would like to admit to calm her heartbeat that night.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Try to feel the energies around you. You're going to need to feel both of the energies in order to separate them," Allura explained, turning over her shoulder to face Lotor. They stood close together in front of a large storage tank of quintessence, stored specifically so Allura could manipulate it. Lotor was right behind her, trying his best to learn how to separate the energies himself. Lotor's piercing blue gaze locked on to hers.

"I'm not entirely sure I know how to do that," he admitted, quietly. He was so close to her he needed not talk much above a whisper. Allura reached down then and grabbed his hand - an idea was forming in her head.

"Here," she said, placing his purple hand on the glass. She covered his hand with hers then and Lotor inched closer to her so they were nearly touching. Allura breathed in slowly.

"Close your eyes and try to feel the energy," she said. Lotor did as he was told, trying his best to feel the energy she was emitting, but he couldn't concentrate. Allura was so close to him that he could smell her perfume in her hair. It was light and summery, and it fit her so well, he thought. He inhaled quietly, then, letting himself breathe her pretty scent for longer than he should have.

"Do you feel it?" Allura asked, and Lotor almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice. Allura felt him shift under her palm and turned to look at him. He blinked quickly several times, trying to get ahold of himself.

"Yes, a little," he lied. He hadn't been paying attention. Allura was still looking at him, her face mere inches from him.

"Okay, then concentrate on the sensation. I'm going to take my hand away; I want you to try and feel the energies without it." Lotor closed his eyes and tried to concentrate again. He felt it, indeed, a low pulse coursing through him. Allura removed her hand, and the pulse faded out. Lotor scowled even with his eyes closed, trying to recover the pulse. He focused completely on the sensation, seeking it out, reaching for it, but he found nothing. After a few more ticks he gave up and dropped his hand from the glass.

"I didn't feel anything inside the quintessence," he sighed.

"Were you seeking it out?" Allura asked as she turned around fully to face him. Lotor nodded,

"Yes, I was trying to concentrate to feel the energies," he said, eyes locked on hers. Allura turned her head to the side, looking pensively at the glowing golden tank of quintessence.

"You shouldn't really be seeking out the energies. It's hard to explain. You need to listen, but if you concentrate too much on the energy, you won't be able to hear it. You're mind needs to be blank," Allura explained.

"I have to concentrate without concentrating?" Lotor asked humorously, the corner of his mouth tilting upwards in a smirk. Allura laughed.

"Kind of. It's complicated. It's… Try to imagine that you're sitting on the side of the road and hover cars are going past you, one after another. They're all moving by, maybe quickly, probably more slowly, and you're job is simply to sit by the side of the road and watch them all go by. You don't want to disturb the flow of traffic, however. If you saw one of the cars going by and got so excited that you chased it, and sought it out, you would get in the way of the other cars and cause a wreck. What you want to do instead is just sit patiently on the side of the road and watch all the cars go by." Lotor stood there for a moment, thinking.

"Do you understand?" Allura asked. Lotor breathed in slowly.

"Yes, I think so." Allura smiled.

"Let's try again."

* * *

A few days later Lotor came to the castle to work with the paladins on plans for the war effort. At the end of the day the majority of them sat in the common room, drinks in hand. Suddenly, Lotor stood up and proceeded to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Allura asked. Lotor turned.

"To train," he responded, turning back around. Allura's ears perked up a bit.

"Do you want a sparring partner?" She asked. Lance rolled his eyes as Lotor turned around completely. The galra raised an eyebrow at her.

"You?" He asked, not entirely condescendingly but still a bit disbelievingly. Allura huffed, sitting forward on the couch.

"What, you think I can't handle you or something?" Allura asked, a bit on the defensive. Lotor looked her over for a few moments and Lance noticed how his eyes trailed down her curves.

"I never said that," he retorted. Allura stood up from the couch and sauntered over towards him.

"You think a little princess can't take on a big, strong man like yourself?" She asked, the teasing tone in her voice almost sultry. Lotor loved when her voice did that. He smirked.

"I don't doubt that you can hold your own, Allura."

"We'll spar, then?" she asked. Lotor looked down at her, thinking.

"What weapon will you use?" He asked.

"My staff," she answered confidently. Lotor blinked.

"Alright."

"Alright!" she quipped, "I'll meet you in the training room, then." She was peering up at him with fierce, confident eyes. Lotor looked down at her face with a mirth in his gaze that he couldn't help. She was so cute with her face scrunched up that way, standing on her tiptoes to try and reach his gaze.

When Allura reached the training room Lotor was already there. He stood off in the corner, adjusting his training gloves. But that wasn't the thing that Allura noticed first. He was shirtless, and the lavender of his skin stuck out against the white of the training room. It was so striking to look at him like that. She had never seen him with anything less than his suit.

His body was lean and yet beautifully toned, and Allura took a second or two to admire the fine muscles of his arms and abdomen. It was a bit strange, if Allura would be perfectly honest, to see him like that. It was so obvious he was a hybrid. He didn't have the body of a galra, but then again he didn't really have the body of an Altean. She supposed his torso did look more Altean than Galran, however.

Suddenly Allura felt Lotor's gaze lingering on her and her eyes shot up to meet his. She was startled and embarrassed to have been caught staring at him. Lotor didn't seem to mind, however, and a twinge of manly pride appeared on his face as he noticed how her gaze seemed to linger on him. The corner of his mouth tilted upwards as Allura turned away and went for her staff.

"Well- are you ready, then?" Allura asked, cringing internally at her awkwardness. Lance, Pidge, and Hunk stepped in.

"Whenever you are, Princess." He casually picked up his sword and stepped towards the middle of the floor. Allura swung her staff around a couple of times, simultaneously trying to warm up and shake the thoughts from her head. Allura looked over at him, then, and was confused to see him standing so calmly. He was standing, turned a bit to her, his sword held down. He wasn't even in a ready position – his body was vulnerable to an attack. Allura scowled. He must not think she was anything of a threat.

She began suddenly, trying to take him off guard with a series of quick jabs and uneven movement. He barely moved at all, easily using his sword to deflect her attack. He didn't even look like he was concentrating. That made her angry. She was a good fighter.

Allura moved again, giving everything she had, trying to pinpoint his weaknesses and exploit them, just like her father had taught. Lotor barely moved from his spot on the floor, hardly even needing to turn or change positions.

"Get him, Allura," Lance cheered on from the side. Lotor was far too relaxed, his eyes resting on her as if they were having a conversation and not a sparring session. It was cocky, almost, his lack of effort.

She jabbed again, this time trying a different approach. She swung around with all her strength, a new attack aimed at his chest. That one caused him to have to take a jump back to avoid her. She was trying with all her might to knock him over but he wouldn't budge. When she looked up there was mirth in his gaze and his lips were raised slightly into a smirk.

"What?" She asked angrily, a definite hint of annoyance in her voice. He was still easily deflecting her staff with his sword. He knocked it away.

"You're learning," he said, even though he had knocked the staff from her hand like it was a toy. She was still angry. He could see the huff when she looked down at the staff on the ground and then back up at him. He stepped back.

"Don't be angry. Pick it up. Try again," he demanded, his eyes set a bit more seriously on her then before. That gave her a bit of confidence.

"Don't go so easy on me. It's arrogant," she refuted without really thinking about it. Lotor sighed a bit - his eyes steady on her.

"I don't want to hurt you, Allura," he said calmly. She set her mouth in determination and went at him again, this time fueled by her aggression. She exhorted a lot of energy, trying with every effort to pin him down. She couldn't get a single blow. He evaded every attack, dodged every stab, and blocked every swipe of her staff. Finally, after minutes of seemingly playing with her Allura was distressed and completely out of breath.

"Are you even going to try attacking me?" She growled. He hadn't swung his blade at her once. Lotor blinked, reading her expression.

"Get ready," he warned, pulling his blade upwards and readying himself. Allura took a deep breath and focused all her concentration. He took a swing, then, and Allura blocked his attempt, but then he spun around and quickly struck her other side, which she barely managed to block. His movements were so quick she barely had time to think. His force was intense, however, and her footing wasn't quite right when he struck the second time so he knocked her a bit off balance. When she was steading herself Lotor quickly swung his blade back at her from the other direction, stopping just in front of her neck. He could have sawed her head clean off if he hadn't stopped when he did. It made Allura's heart stop for a second. His ferocity could really be quite frightening. For a tick she thought about how lucky she was that Lotor was not her enemy.

Lotor dropped his blade, and Allura simply stared at him, taking big, gasping breaths. He eyed her with concern, approaching her carefully.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly. Allura looked down at the floor and scowled, stilling breathing heavily. Show grace in defeat, she thought to herself, trying her best to keep her father's wisdom in her mind. She exhaled, dropping her shoulders and forcing herself to release the tension.

"Yes, I'm alright," she looked over to where the paladins were sitting, "Keith, why don't you go?" Keith's purple eyes locked on to hers before he turned to Lotor. The emperor stood calmly, his hair still slicked back elegantly. His muscled chest hardly moved when he breathed, and he looked cool and collected as ever. Allura was an excellent fighter, and yet she was out of breath, her hair disheveled. A bead of sweat dripped down her temple. He stood up. He was going to try. He was one of the best swordsmen out there. He could give Lotor a fair fight, he was sure. Lotor looked down at him, towering over Keith's small body like a tree.

"You're going to spar now?" Lotor asked, almost a bit incredulous that this child-sized fighter was going to take him on. Keith reached for his sword.

"Yes, and I can do it with my shirt on," he taunted. Lance laughed. Lotor's gaze shifted a bit to something more calculating then before. He didn't feel that bad about asking now:

"Do you want me to go easy on you?" His voice was light and beautiful, the Altean accent making it almost sound like a song. Keith growled.

"Nope, not at all," he retorted. Both quickly got into a fighting position and it took no time for Keith to swing at the taller galra. Keith was a graceful fighter and very powerful for his size. He tried some of his more difficult moves on Lotor but all were deflected. Keith took a step back.

"You have good technique," he complimented, "but let's see your footwork." Lotor walked towards him, sword extended.

"If I move here," he began, turning his position, "You- very good." Keith sidestepped, moving along with him. Lotor was moving in a circle, changing the positioning of his feet and using several different techniques.

"Your basics are solid. But are you creative?" Only a second after he asked he exploded into a myriad of movement, not giving Keith a chance to answer, let alone react. Lotor was on the defensive now, striking, gliding, and moving effortlessly around him. Keith focused with all his might, fending himself against most all of his attacks. Lotor's blade came sharply, deftly, and with no premonition Keith had a difficult time keeping track of what Lotor was doing next. They both used speed to their advantage, however, fighting on their toes and dodging the other's attacks. It wasn't even a minute, however, before Lotor's blade found it's way to Keith's throat. He hadn't even distracted him first, that's what made Keith angry. He won fair and square. Keith growled a bit at the feeling of Lotor's cool blade against his neck. Lotor dropped his sword and Keith relaxed. He looked up at Lotor, waiting for him to say something, but then he realized he was probably waiting for Keith to catch his breath. He didn't really understand how fighting could take so little out of Lotor. He must have had the breath capacity of an Olympic diver.

"Fine. You win that one. Let's try again."

Keith and Lotor went on like that for a long while, and Keith lost again and again to Lotor. He was lasting longer than he was before, but he still couldn't get a good swing at the emperor. One time he thought he had Lotor for sure, but as he swung his blade down towards Lotor at the last second Lotor dipped down, swung his leg across Keith, and toppled him over. Lotor recovered easily, standing up and walking over to where Keith lay, exhausted, on the ground. Lotor had knocked the breath out of him. He extended his hand down to Keith, and for a moment Keith could only stare at the lavender skin of his palm. After a few ticks he did take Lotor's hand, however. He was too spent to pretend that he didn't need help getting up.

"You've done well," Lotor muttered. Keith raised an eyebrow.

"You won each time," Keith grumbled. Lotor laughed a little.

"I have ten thousand years of experience, Earthling. Your lack of experience is not your fault." Keith looked down at the floor.

"Yeah," he mumbled. Allura stood up and walked up to the both of them.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," the Princess offered.

A/N: This is kind of a filler chapter. But you need time before you can get to the more fun parts. I hope you still liked it. Review, please! Also, if anyone would like to beta read this story let me know!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Allura stepped into her bedroom in the Castle, entirely exhausted. Days of meetings and conferences at Olkarion with members of the coalition and Lotor's heads of state had left her spent. There had scarcely been a moment to breathe in the past few days, let alone rest. A sigh escaped her as she sat down on the bed. Lotor had left Olkarion the day before, but the follow-up meetings with the coalition had taken hours and hours. They were incredibly skeptical of him, of course, and it took a concentrated amount of effort to convince them even to give him a chance. The Oklari were probably the most open-minded about him, and they truly did want to give the galra a chance to make amends. Others were thankful to be done with the war, but they wanted to live in almost complete separation from the galra, having next to no contact with them. Lotor had immediately pointed out the problems with such isolationism, but they barely listened to him. Allura was growing to respect Lotor more and more with each coming day. He worked so hard, and against such incredible opposition from both sides, to bring peace to the universe. She could really see a lot of herself in Lotor.

At each insult, he calmly responded and did not take a tone of aggression. His lavender face was blank most of the time, and Allura applauded him for his strong constitution, but she couldn't help but wonder what he was feeling underneath. The majority of the galra and the coalition were skeptical of him, if not openly hostile. Some of them took an interesting position; They did not care for him, and yet they went along with his decisions because they believed that he deserved his position. Honorable right of combat, and all that.

Allura started to take off her shoes when suddenly the dial tone rang on her computer. She rushed over to see who it was.

\- - EMPEROR LOTOR IS REQUESTING A VIDEO CALL - -

The princess' eyes widened and she hastily sat down at the desk chair, running her fingers through her hair to try and smooth it down. She clicked on the screen to accept the call.

"Hello, Allura," he began. He was in his home office again, she could tell. For once, he wasn't wearing his hair slicked back over his shoulders. He had it pulled back into a low ponytail and Allura smiled a bit at that. Her father always used to wear it that way.

"Lotor. Good evening."

"I realize that it is late. Again, I apologize. I was in and out of meetings all day," Lotor explained.

"Yes, it was the same for me over here." Lotor nodded.

"Well, I will make this brief," he said, sitting up in his chair.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming to see me a night early," Lotor ventured. Allura furrowed her brow.

"Oh, I thought that we were scheduled to work on the project starting the day after tomorrow. Did you want to move that up?" Allura asked. Lotor looked down for a second.

"No, we can still begin our work on the project the day after tomorrow… I was wondering if you had tomorrow evening free because I would like to invite you to have dinner with me." Allura stilled.

"Have dinner with you?" She asked. He nodded, his eyes set on hers.

"Just you and me?" She wondered. Lotor's face flickered for a moment. He was beginning to think she was going to say no. He wondered if this was a bad idea all together.

"Yes, just you and me," he explained. Allura stared at him, wide-eyed, thinking. He was asking her out. It took her a moment to realize that. Suddenly a smile broke across her face.

"I'd love to," Allura answered, the smile in place. She was beaming. Lotor smiled, then, too. She looked so happy. He didn't know what to think.

"Wonderful," he responded, smiling along with her. They both simply stared at one another's reactions for a moment before Lotor asked,

"So, it's a date then?" Allura's heart was racing. She hoped he couldn't see her blush in the darkness.

"It's a date."

* * *

Allura stepped off the docking ramp from her ship to the entry bay. Lotor was there, waiting for her. He was already smiling.

"Good evening," He greeted. For once, he wasn't wearing his suit. Instead, he had on some sort of Galran fashion that Allura was unfamiliar with. Well, she supposed it was Galran. She didn't know. He was clad in a fitted dark blue long-sleeved tunic, overlaid with a black shoulder-garment. The stiff navy collar wrapped around his neck and dipped down at the center of his throat. The black overlay was outlined with white piping and it contrasted nicely with the dark colors. He looked entirely handsome.

"Good evening." Allura wore her usual blue and white gown, her hair down save for the few pieces twisted up that framed her face. She approached him.

"How are you?" Lotor asked her. Allura smiled.

"I'm doing well. I had a good day. The paladins and I made significant process in the Kulla'a region."

"That's wonderful," Lotor began walking, Allura right beside him, "Did you follow the advice I gave you?" Allura nodded.

"Yes. Thank you for that. I told the paladins that the integration design was your idea."

"They were skeptical, I assume?" Lotor asked, looking at her over his shoulder.

"Decidedly. Hunk did not doubt you, however… I think he has a certain knack for sensing the inner character of a person," Allura explained. She believed it, truly. Hunk had been right about Nyma and Rolo's betrayal, just as he had been right about sensing Lotor's true intentions. Lotor turned, slightly struck by her outward admission of trust. He considered it for a while, stopping in the middle of the hall to look into her eyes. He searched for some sort of a tell, some sign of a joke, but there was nothing there. She was being serious.

He smiled at that. A warm sort of feeling began in his stomach and crept up through his body, pulling on the corners of his lips and drawing them into a very real and heartwarming expression. Trust. He had hardly ever known that word.

"You really believe that?" He asked for clarity on the matter. He didn't want to be wrong and make a false assumption. Allura blinked, looking him over before her gaze met up with his again.

"Yes, I do." Another surge of warmth and joy ran through Lotor when she said that. It ran right through his heart and he could feel the burn there, only further enflamed when she looped her arm through his, walking alongside him. She had a warm running through her as well, one of friendship and camaraderie, but also something more than that- something much deeper than that.

"Where are we dining?" Allura asked, changing the conversation.

"My rooms. I thought that would be more intimate than one of the more formal dining rooms. They can be quite stark," He remarked, taking Allura into an elevator with him. She turned to look up at the taller Altean.

"You said they were new?" She asked, thinking of their earlier conversation about Zarkon's old chambers. She wanted to curse herself for having asked that.

"Yes, I had this whole floor remodeled. Part of it contains my rooms, but the other part houses my personal library and some reading rooms."

"Do you allow others to read from your personal collection?" Allura asked, curiously.

"Yes, if they ask. Sometimes I have had professors or researchers ask to look through my data collection or my books, and I often let them. I see no harm in allowing knowledge to those who are interested," He explained. When the elevator stopped a fingerprint recognition software popped up by the door. Lotor pressed his hand into the screen. Next there was a retina scan. Finally, a voice check.

"Emperor Lotor," he voiced. An alarm started to go off and he rolled his eyes. "And guest."

With that, the alarm stopped. Allura was started by the whole affair. She had never seen someone go to such top secret security only to enter their own bedchambers.

"Sorry about that. I haven't added you to the security system yet."

"Why is there so much security only for you to get into your own rooms?" Allura wondered aloud. Lotor turned and gave her a slightly weary gaze.

"Assassins. I take full precautions." They stepped out of the elevator into a hallway.

"That's horrible," Allura responded, "Do you not feel safe here, even in your own home?" Lotor scowled a bit.

"I trust in my security system. It is only that I do not like having guards or centries anywhere near my sleeping quarters. Robots can be hacked; people can be easily swayed or manipulated. I don't allow them the chance to try anything, so I keep this entire floor clear of personnel… Besides, I enjoy the privacy."

"You like being alone?" She asked.

"Yes, sometimes," he answered, leading her through a large doorway, "I think better with little distraction." Allura made a noncommittal noise.

"Me as well." They had come upon Lotor's dining chamber, apparently. It was quite beautiful, really. The room was large, with high ceilings and a broad depth. At the end of the room there was an open view of space, completely unobstructed. The entire far wall was dappled with blackness and stars.

"Oh, it's lovely," she said, gazing out into the galaxy. Lotor favored looking at her to pursuing the stars, however, and he couldn't help but let his gaze linger a little on her. On one wall there was a large, modern fireplace with a border of black granite. It bathed the room in a warm light that only tapered off near the top of the ceiling. The table was set not too far from the fireplace. It was rather small. But then again, it was the only the two of them dining. She reminded herself of that.

She turned to look at him and he smiled, pulling out a chair for her to sit. She graciously accepted, seating herself in the high backed chair that was much more comfortable than she would have guessed. As Lotor seated himself she did another quick perusal of the room, noting the sunken living area with dark leather couches and sleek, modern furniture.

"Did you pick all of this out for yourself?" Allura asked, meaning the room.

Lotor looked around, almost sheepishly.

"Well, not necessarily. I told the designer what I had in mind and he sent me a couple of mock-ups. I just picked one of the designs and he took care of the rest."

Allura almost laughed at herself. She was asking silly questions. He didn't want to talk about interior design.

"Well, I like it," she added, a note of finality in it. Lotor smiled.

"Would you like some wine?" He asked, picking up a bottle. Allura blinked.

"Sure," she answered. She had never had galran wine. Lotor popped the cork and poured some into their wineglasses. The fermented berries were aromatic, but the smell was largely unfamiliar to Allura. The took a tentative sip.

"There is one person I do let up here besides myself. My chef. He should be out in just a minute or two. I told him you had arrived when your ship was docking."

Allura inclined her head. She looked so pretty bathed in the light of the fire, he thought. It made her eyes sparkle.

"Wonderful. What are we having?" Lotor chuckled a little.

"Well, to be honest I didn't really pick that either. I usually let him decide what he wants to make. I'm never disappointed."

"That's good. It is galran food, though?" She asked. Lotor nodded.

"Most likely, yes. Is that alright?" He asked, suddenly berating himself for not considering that she might have abhorrence for galran food.

"Yes, yes. I had a little when I was growing up. It was very good." She told the truth. She actually quite liked it. It was very different than what she was used to. However, that does not mean it was bad at all.

"When was that?" Lotor asked. He assumed but he still was curious enough to ask.

"At state dinners on Daibazaal," she answered.

"Did you enjoy them?" Lotor questioned. Allura picked up her napkin and folded it across her lap.

"Yes, for the most part. However, at ten years of age I admit I did not have the greatest amount of patience. Galrans ate much later than Alteans did. I was practically falling asleep by the second course," she admitted, laughing. Lotor laughed along with her, watching intently as her eyes so brilliantly reflected the light.

The door opened, then, and a slightly stout man came out, two trays in his hands. He smiled slightly at Lotor before giving a slight inclination of his head as a bow and placing the trays on the table.

"Please enjoy, your highnesses." His only words were quiet and demure, and in only a tick he was gone from the room, and all that was left behind him was two covered, steaming plates.

"He doesn't say much," Allura chucked. He was gone so quickly that Allura didn't even have a chance to ask what they were having.

"He doesn't have to. His work speaks for him," Lotor explained, taking the top off of the tray and setting it aside. Allura did the same.

It was a narrow cut of some sort of fish, topped with vegetables and braised in a green sauce that smelled entirely appetizing.

"This is a typical galra dish, isn't it?" Allura asked. Lotor nodded picking up his fork.

"Yes. Have you had it before?" The emperor asked, looking up and meeting her purple-blue gaze. Allura took a bite.

"I believe so. It's very good," she commented happily. Lotor smiled, pleased that she enjoyed it, but much more pleased by the fact that she was with him. Even though they had grown closer over the past few months, he still had a little voice at the back of his head telling him she wouldn't date him. A part of that, he supposed, was her animosity towards him when she had first met him. Another part, something he would never really be free of, was a fear that no one would want him because he was a half-breed. Suddenly, almost as if she had read his mind, Allura changed the subject.

"Do your people care that you are only half galran?" She asked, taking another bite of fish. Lotor's gaze froze on her for a moment before he answered.

"Yes. Many of them do. Most of them think my Altean ancestry makes me weak and unfit to rule. At the Kral Zera people tried to say that I could never be the emperor because of my mixed race, but it obviously did not stop me." Allura listened intently, nodding as he spoke. She looked at the fire, and then back to his face.

"It's a strange position, isn't it? Being a half-breed."

A pause.

Lotor locked eyes with her, and then Allura already knew the answer. His eyes said so much at that moment. His eyes showed the centuries of anguish he had endured, if only for a moment. His eyes showed, faintly, pain and discomfort, and for a moment he seemed so real to Allura, real and vulnerable.

He blinked it away.

"Yes. But I've never lived another way. I couldn't. I would not be myself." He took another bite. Perhaps he was trying to take the dramatics out of this conversation. Allura was still thinking, however. She sat silently for a moment, thinking about him and his life.

"If you had the choice, would you want to be fully Galra?" She asked, and without hesitation Lotor answered her.

"No." She wondered how he could be so sure.

"Really? Even though you wouldn't have to be discriminated against?" She wondered, and hoped it did not wound him. She spoke softly, gently.

"I could never sacrifice one half of myself. If someone asked to split your body in two, would you chose to live with only one half? Of course not. You are made of two halves. Everyone is. And to ask someone to choose which they would favor more is impossible because they would be giving up one half of themself."

He spoke enigmatically. Poetically. Allura wondered so much about him. He was a mystery, a darkly-lit maze that seemed to stretch on and on. Every time he said something about himself he only made her more and more curious about him: his shrouded past, his philosophies, his thinking. He was a masterpiece waiting to be unraveled.

"You're very poetic, do you know that?" Allura asked, a smile creeping onto her face. Lotor sat back in his chair.

"I'm ancient. And the ancients always have a flair for the melodramatic."

Allura laughed.

"So am I. And you don't have to tell me that, I was there with you in Oriande. We met the original ancient over-dramatics, remember?" Allura asked.

"I'll never forget."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed Allura and Lotor's first date: part one! The second part of their date will be explored in Chapter 8, so come back soon to read the rest. Thank you to all my readers. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

When their main courses had been cleared away, Lotor's chef returned to set out a rectangular tray bearing three small glasses containing different colored sorbets.

"What's this?" Allura asked, smiling, "Dessert?"

"Of sorts. It's a palate cleanser," Lotor explained, picking up one of the small spoons on the tray and scooping a little out. Allura did as well.

"What is the flavor?" Allura asked.

"Liddonenberry, I think," Lotor guessed, taking a spoonful. Allura was unfamiliar with the fruit. She tried a bit.

"It's delicious," she exclaimed, taking another small spoonful. It was minty and fruity at the same time, clean and cool on the tounge. Lotor chuckled, his eyes catching her and holding her.

"We had a dessert like this on Altea. Smooth ice," Allura commented, reminiscing.

"Really?" Lotor asked, looking up at her.

"Yes. We would often have it in the summertime." She smiled.

"Tell me more about Altea," Lotor implored her. Allura's blue eyes lit up. Unlike most of the paladins, Lotor truly did care for Altean culture and history.

"You would have loved it. There were beautiful oceans and rolling hills. The elderflowers were my favorite. When they bloomed, it seemed as if all of Altea smelled of them. The air was sweet and light. At night the moons illuminated everything. My friends and I always used to go swimming in the pools at night in the summer."

"Night swimming. I miss that," Lotor remarked. He finished off the last of the small desert and set the spoon back down on the table.

"Where did you go night swimming?" Allura asked.

"When I lived on planet Ozarion. They had these beautiful freshwater springs all throughout their planet."

"I'm unfamiliar with that planet. Why did you live there?" Allura asked, taking another sip of wine.

"I… It's a long story," Lotor explained. Allura chuckled.

"I'm not going anywhere," she encouraged him.

"Well, I was banished, of course, so I was on the outskirts of the universe. I was working nearby that planet for the Peacekeepers, an intergalactic organization that doesn't exist anymore. I met a woman in the program, and that was her home planet: Ozarion. I lived with her there for several years."

"Oh, I see." Allura had to remind herself that he was thousands of years old. Of course he had been with other women.

"How long ago was that?" She wondered. He blinked.

"About three thousand years ago now. She's long dead, of course."

"How long did her species live?"

"A few hundred years."

"That must be horrible... I can't even imagine that. It's one of the reasons Alteans would usually always marry other Alteans - because we live for thousands of years."

"Mm, yes. It's - it can be very difficult." He said, and then he shook his head.

"This is despondent. Let's speak of something else," Lotor proposed. Allura nodded.

"Tell me more about Altea," he said.

"What do you want to know?" Allura asked.

"I know about the history and the science, but I don't know at all what it was really like to live there. Reading can only tell you so much," he explained. Allura smiled, taking another sip of wine.

"Yes, that's true. Books can try to capture the culture, but it's hard to really contain feeling in words and pictures. I wish I could take you there…" Allura said, drifting off into thought. He scowled as he saw Allura's face darken, and he reached over to take her hand in his. Allura stilled a bit when he did that. He wasn't wearing gloves, and she could feel the smoothness of his skin against hers. Her skin prickled a bit at his touch and she accepted it, lacing her fingers through his. It looked so different, the brown and purple of their skin interlaced together.

"I know. I do as well," he replied, rubbing his thumb gently over hers, "But going to Oriande was one of the most truly Altean experiences anyone could ever have…" Allura nodded.

"Yes. That's true." He was still holding her hand. It was silly, she knew, and she almost hated herself for it, but she was blushing. There was something so giddy, she thought, about having a man as powerful as Lotor be interested in her. Her heart was beating faster in her chest.

"Tell me about your experience, Allura. What you loved the most," he implored her, his thumb still gently grazing over hers, the touch almost so light that it was almost not noticeable.

"I loved the flowers in the spring," she said, leaning towards him, her voice growing softer and softer, "The fragrance lingered in the air for weeks during their bloom, and we had festivals to celebrate them. Whole hillsides would be covered with them, and the world would be amassed in this sea of pink and white flowers. It was lovely."

Lotor smiled warmly, his eyes lightening up as she reminisced.

"What were your favorite things to do at home? When you had time to yourself?" He wondered. Allura chuckled a bit.

"Well that's more of a question about me than about Altea," she refuted, smiling.

"Is it such a bad thing for you to talk about your interests while on a date?" He asked, smiling along with her. At that, Allura couldn't contain her blush. He was still holding her hand in his, and she could faintly feel his heartbeat through his fingers.

"No, I suppose it isn't. It's just that - Well, I was never taught to talk about myself. Royal politeness, and all that… I enjoyed the music on Altea. Sometimes my friends and I would go to concerts, or go dancing. Or, I would simply listen to it alone sometimes. I would dance around my room if no one was watching." Lotor was still smiling, his handsome features warm and alluring.

"You should play me some of your favorites," he suggested. Allura raised her eyebrows.

"Now?" She asked. He nodded.

"If you'd like to." Allura chuckled.

"Okay," she replied. He let go of hand and stood up, fetching a small device of some sort from across the room.

"It's a connector. Just set your phone on it, and it will play whatever you pick out," he explained setting it on the table. Allura reached for her phone, scrolling through her music. She felt silly. The galran emperor wanted to hear her playlist. It made her laugh.

"Well, I'm a little behind the times, aren't I? I'm sure my music will sound ancient, too," she mused.

"You're not even a hundred years younger than I am, Allura. I assure you I won't find it ancient," he persuaded her, and she smiled before looking back down to her tablet and selecting a song.

"Alright, this is one of my favorites. It's a dancing song," she said, setting her phone down on the connector. The music started immediately all around them, and Allura looked up. She couldn't even see the speakers. They must have been flush with the walls.

"Shall we dance, then?" The emperor asked, smirking as he looked down at her. She didn't think he would ask that. She never would have thought the ruler of the galra empire would dance at all. Zarkon hadn't. But, she had to remind herself, Lotor was different. Very different. She offered him a smile then. It was a date, she told herself. Why shouldn't she?

"Yes, we shall." Lotor moved over a bit to give them more space, Allura following him.

"Now, you'll have to teach me. I don't really know how Alteans dance," he admitted, and she could swear he was blushing a bit. She chuckled, taking hold of his hand.

"Like this," she explained, taking one of his hands and placing it on her waist. She placed her right hand on his shoulder and took hold of his other hand with her left one. The touch gave her goosebumps. He was so close to her. She had never been so close to him.

"Now, on Altea, the woman leads." Lotor raised an eyebrow at that, smirking.

"Why is that?" he asked. Allura looked up at him.

"Women are believed to be the instigator of a romance - they have the upper hand. The men should do as they say to prove that they are worthy to the woman."

"Worthy to be her lover?" He asked, stepping closer to her so they were almost touching. Allura blushed to the roots of her hair at the implication of his words.

"Yes," she responded, looking down to try and rid herself of her blush. When they caught each other's gaze sometimes she could see desire in his purple gaze.

"Follow my footsteps." She stepped backwards, and he followed her, and they quickly fell into the dance. It seemed so crazy to be doing this, she thought. He was the Galran emperor, an alien in so many respects. But then again, not entirely alien. She looked back up to his handsome face as they danced, slowly, to the music. It was a harmless thing, and yet Allura couldn't help but feel like this was too intimate. He was so close. She took in the shape of his face, the curve of his jaw and his aristocratic, Altean nose. His lips looked soft and Allura couldn't deny that she imagined what they might feel like against her own.

"You have a good taste in music," he complimented, referencing the smooth melody enveloping them in sound. It was an Altean love ballad. The princess smiled.

"You're a fast learner," she tossed back at him. He had quickly taken to the dance, and easily followed her around the room as they danced slowly to the music. He smiled. For a while the simply danced, an amicable silence between them. She was growing more comfortable to their closeness. He smelled clean and musky, obviously the effect of his cologne. It was a foreign scent, but it was entirely welcome. She could feel the muscles of his shoulder under her hand as they danced and the feeling of his hand on her waist was giving her goosebumps.

When the song was coming to a close, they slowed.

"I'm getting dizzy," she muttered. They stilled.

"We should stop," he suggested, his voice barely above a whisper. His face was mere inches from her face. The song had ended.

"We have stopped." She let go of him bit as they stopped dancing, but she still kept her right hand pressed his chest, her touch lingering there. Lotor's arms gently wrapped around her waist, drawing her flush against him. When she looked up, he was already staring down at her, his exotic eyes warm as molten gold. And she was caught in them, unable to let go of his gaze. She moved in closer and then, with one simple movement, his lips captured hers.

 **A/N: Please review! It keeps the creative juices flowing :)**


End file.
